Preface to the Second Edition

Summary

With the failure of the Abuja Peace Agreement of May 2006 the Darfur conflict entered a new phase. Since then the forces arrayed there against the Sudanese government have fractionalized to a degree no less confusing for having been predictable. The Khartoum government itself, after entering into an uneasy coalition with its longtime enemies the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, has faced new challenges as national elections loom and the all-important Southern referendum of 2011 grows near. These developments, international events, clear but tenuous improvements in the dire situation of Darfur's refugees, and the availability of more reliable sources have all suggested the need to bring the account of Darfur's Sorrow up to date. The opportunity has also been taken to correct errors and to update the Chronology and Bibliography. My thanks are owed to those who, in published reviews and private correspondence, have pointed out mistakes and suggested amendments, and in particular to Shari Chappell at Cambridge University Press.